Biographies of Percy L. Spencer Inventors Highest Rated Percy L. Spencer ( 1894 - 1970 ) Category ( Inventors ) [ suggest a correction ] He was known as the inventor of the microwave but even though he possessed an ingenious mind, Percy L Spencer didn’t live a life of ease in the early years. Born in Maine, Percy was left an orphan at a young age. He never graduated from a traditional school but his brains carried him through life and never failed him. Percy L Spencer invented the microwave oven in 1945 which was after World War II. What is known today as a conventional kitchen feature began as a very unconventional discovery. Spencer discovered the microwave because he was at one of the Raytheon Companies when he noticed a sudden and odd feeling surge through his body. Around the same time, Percy Spencer realized that his chocolate candy bar was melting. As he noted these strange and peculiar happenings, he also recognized that both were a result of where he chose to stand. Standing in front of a magnetron, Percy realized the power tube that drives the radar set was also capable of doing much more. He immediately took some kernels of popcorn and held it up to the magnetron.

He watched with curiosity and splendid amazement as popcorn formed. From the experiment conducted at Raytheon, the microwave was developed. The first oven was basically developed for the use in commercial settings like restaurants and ocean vessels or railroad cars. These ovens weighed around seven hundred and fifty pounds. Today, the microwave oven is a familiar appliance in many homes across the world. Percy L. Spencer died in 1970. He left behind a lifetime of accomplishments. During his time at Raytheon, not only did he invent the microwave but he also held the position of Senior Vice-President of Raytheon. Percy L. Spencer secured over one hundred patents during his lifetime. Rating 5 History of Kitchen Appliances By Mary Bellis Updated November 03, 2015. By definition, the kitchen is a room used for food preparation that is typically equipped with a stove, a sink for cleaning food and dish-washing, and cabinets and refrigerators for storing food and equipment. Kitchens have been around for centuries, however, it was not until post-civil war period that the majority of kitchen appliances were invented. The reason was that most people no longer had servants and housewives working alone in the kitchen needed culinary help.

Also the advent of electricity greatly advanced the technology of labor-saving kitchen appliances. History of Kitchen Appliances In 1850, Joel Houghton patented a wooden machine with a hand-turned wheel that splashed water on dishes, it was hardly a workable machine, but it was the first patent . Garbage Disposer Architect, inventor John W. Hammes built his wife the world's first kitchen garbage disposer in 1927. After ten years of design improvement, Hammes went into business selling his appliance to the public. His company was called the In-Sink-Erator Manufacturing Company. continue reading below our video What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen The first historical record of a stove being built refers to a stove built in 1490 in Alsace, France. Microwave Ovens Before mechanical refrigeration systems were introduced, people cooled their food with ice and snow, either found locally or brought down from the mountains. Small Kitchen Appliances The familiar green plastic garbage bag (made from polyethylene) was invented by Harry Wasylyk in 1950. Electric Kettle Arthur Leslie Large invented the electric kettle in 1922.

General Electric introduced the electric kettle with an automatic cut-out in 1930. Weber Kettle Grill George Stephen invented the original Weber Kettle Grill in 1951. Mason Jar John Mason patented the screw neck bottle or the "Mason Jar" on November 30, 1858. Electric Mixers The first patent that can claim to be for an electric mixer was issued on November 17, 1885 to Rufus M. Eastman. Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972), the mother of 12 children, also patented an electric food mixer (at a later date). Ivar Jepson invented Sunbeam Mixmaster, which he patented in 1928, and first mass marketed in 1930. Paper Towels The Scott Paper Company was founded in Philadelphia by Irvin and Clarence Scott in 1879. Brothers Seymour and Irvin Scott ran a paper commission business for twelve years, but the poor economy in the 1870s forced them out of business. Irvin and his younger brother, Clarence, then decided to form their own company out of the remains of the first.

Irvin reportedly borrowed $2,000 from his father-in-law and added it to the $300 the two brothers had to form the capital of Scott Paper Company. In 1907, Scott Paper introduced the Sani-Towels paper towel, the first paper towels. They were invented for use in Philadelphia classrooms to help prevent the spread of the common cold from child to child. Peelers The nineteenth-century created numerous kitchen use inventions: toasters, potato mashers, apple/potato peelers, food choppers and sausage stuffers were all invented. Over 185 patents for coffee grinders and over 500 patents for apple/potato peelers were patented in the 1800s. Early peelers were made of iron and the patent number and other information was included in the casting. Peelers ranged from the familiar and simple round swiveling rod with a knife blade that peeled skin, to contraptions full of gears and wheels that could peel, core, slice and section. There were separate peelers designed for different fruits and vegetables; there were even peelers that removed the kernels from ears of corn.

Pressure Cooker In 1679, French physicist Denis Papin invented the pressure cooker, called Papin's Digester, this airtight cooker produced a hot steam that cooked food more quickly while preserving nutrients. Who Invented The Microwave Cooker? | Service Force Who Invented The Microwave Cooker? By barracuda • October 22, 2015 Kitchen Appliances We’ve all heard the story that the microwave was invented around WW2, when an American working on one of the big Air Force radars noticed that radiation melted a chocolate bar in his pocket but didn’t cook him. That sounds like a great story, but it can’t be true, right? It’s got to be one of those internet factoids that was invented as click-bait 15 years ago, and just keeps getting repeated, right? Apparently not. Percy Spencer was an engineer for Raytheon, a huge American defence contractor in 1945. According to Spencer himself, he was working on a microwave radar set (it was turned on at the time, but apparently there were no health and safety standards back then) and the foil-wrapped candy bar in his pocket started to heat up and melt.

He felt the hot chocolate, but not the radiation, and jumped back, apparently unharmed. There is a short feature about it here . Being an inventor of the old, mad scientist school, he took his huge, poorly-shielded microwave source and tried it on other foods. It popped popcorn (according to Spencer, this was not attempted whilst in his trouser pocket) and exploded an egg ‘right into the face’ of another engineer. Let me say that again, because you might have missed it… The engineer had his face right up near the egg they were cooking with a big, military radar emitter. Somehow, none of them turned into the Hulk or cooked their own eyes. A few years later, Raytheon was gearing up for the post-war market with a six foot tall, 3000 watt monster called the RadaRange. It cost something like £34,000.00 in today’s money. They say it could cook fry an egg in 12 seconds. Good luck getting a qualified repairman to come out in 1948 if you left it in for an utterly irresponsible 20 seconds though.

I wonder what a new magnetron would have set you back, if you tried to fix it yourself ? What can I say? They got smaller, ad a lot less frightening. By the late 60’s the Amana company, owned by Raytheon, had a small, low-power countertop model that cost substantially less than a new Cadillac. The microwave we know was born. History of the Microwave Oven - My Appliance Service Blog History of the Microwave Oven by Masha While several different home appliances are considered standard in the modern home, no kitchen is complete without a microwave oven . Microwave ovens provide people with easy access to hot foods and drinks and require almost no effort at all to operate. But who invented microwaves, and how did they come to be so popular? Beginnings In the 1940s, American scientists developed a magnetic device known as the magnetron, a tube that produced microwaves. The magnetron was originally used to help Allied forces to spot Nazi planes during World War II, but was soon reapplied in the culinary industry. Dr. Percy Spencer , an engineer for the Raytheon Company discovered that microwaves produced enough heat to cook food very quickly.

He is credited with the invention of the very first microwave oven, which stood five feet, six inches tall, and weighed 750 pounds. The Radarange In 1945, Raytheon filed for the first patent of the microwave oven. In 1947, Raytheon introduced the Radarange, the first commercially available microwave oven. The appliance was water-cooled and required 3 kilowatts to operate, approximately 3 times as much energy as modern microwave ovens. The Radarange was also very similar in size to Spencer’s prototype, and cost about $5,000. Subsequent commercially available models were also very expensive, and did not sell very well. The Private Microwave In the 1960s, appliance company Amana began producing microwave ovens designed for home use. The countertop Radarange was launched in 1967 and sold for around $500. The launch of this countertop machine sparked the microwave race, and every appliance company was harnessing microwave oven technology for cooking. By 1975, sales of microwave ovens surpassed sales of gas ovens for the first time in history.

By 1976, more homes had microwave ovens than dish washers. Today, you can find this nifty appliance in nearly every American home. While microwave technology has improved dramatically since the time of Percy Spencer, microwaves still require occasional repair and maintenance. Contact Allen & Sons Appliance Repair for the very best appliance repair services in the Los Angeles area. Call (800) 828-0887 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Inventor of the Month - Who is Percy Spencer? | innovate USA 0 Percy Spencer invented a contraption that one sees everyday in their kitchen. It is an appliance that we sometimes take for granted. Can you guess… it is the microwave oven! Percy Spencer was an American engineer and inventor. He was born in Howland, Maine on July 9, 1894 and died on September 8, 1970 at an early age of 76. Percy lived with his aunt and uncle and when his uncle died, Percy left school at an early age to get a job to help support him and his aunt.

From the age of twelve to sixteen, he worked morning till night at a spool mill in Maine. In 1910, Percy heard about a local paper mill who were going to install electricity in the plant. Electricity was so new to him that he began learning everything he could about it. When he applied to the paper mill, he had never had any formal training in electrical engineering and was one out of three who were hired to install electricity in the plant. Not bad for a person who never finished grammer school. In 1912 at the age of eighteen, Percy decided to join the US Navy. He became knowledgeable and proficient in radio technology. During that time, he also taught himself calculus, chemistry, physics, and trigonometry. Percy stated, “I just got hold of a lot of textbooks and taught myself while I was standing watch at night.“ Twenty-seven years later, he became a world leader expert in radar tube design and was working for a company called Raytheon, which was a contractor for the Department of Defense. He focused on magnetrons, which generate microwave radio signals, which are the core mechanism of radar. Raytheon was producing and manufacturing about 17 a day using machined parts.

Percy streamlined the manufacturing process by punching out and soldering magnetron parts together instead, which increased the production to 2,600 per day. Due to this accomplishment, he was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award by the U.S. Navy. Now where does the microwave oven fit in? By accident really, Percy was going about his day, working and building on magnetrons. While he was standing in front of the radar set that was active, a candy bar that was in his pocket melted. He decided to experiment with food starting with popcorn kernels, and an egg. What he got was the first microwaved popcorn and an exploding egg. Percy wanted to continue experimenting and he did this by attaching a high density electromagnetic field generator to an enclosed metal box. By having a controlled environment, the magnetron emitted microwaves that were captured in the metal box, and voila the microwave oven was born. Today microwave ovens are small compact and can fit easily on any counter; however that was not always the case. On October 8, 1945 a patent was filled by Raytheon for the microwave oven. It was named Radarange and in 1947 it officially went on the market.

The Radarange was about 6 feet tall, weighing in at about 750 lbs and costing between $2,000 – $3,000. It wasn’t until 1967 that the microwave oven was of reasonable size and price, being able to fit on a counter and costing $495 respectfully. Throughout his career at Raytheon, Percy Spencer received 300 patents and had a building named in his honor. One would think he would be rolling in royalties as there isnt a household who doesn’t have a microwave, but alas he received no royalties; however he did get paid a one time gratuity fee of $2.00 from Raytheon. Percy Spencer an unsung inventor, who changed the world. Further Reading: Household Appliances Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century Household Appliances Timeline The technologies that created the 20th century's laborsaving household devices owe a huge debt to electrification, which brought light and power into the home. Then two major engineering innovations—resistance heating and small, efficient motors—led to electric stoves and irons, vacuum cleaners, washers, dryers, and dishwashers.

In the second half of the century advances in electronics yielded appliances that could be set on timers and even programmed, further reducing the domestic workload by allowing washing and cooking to go on without the presence of the human launderer or cook. Engine-powered vacuum cleaner British civil engineer H. Cecil Booth patents a vacuum cleaner powered by an engine and mounted on a horse-drawn cart. Teams of operators would reel the hoses into buildings to be cleaned. 1903 Lightweight electric iron introduced Earl Richardson of Ontario, California, introduces the lightweight electric iron. After complaints from customers that it overheated in the center, Richardson makes an iron with more heat in the point, useful for pressing around buttonholes and ruffles. Soon his customers are clamoring for the "iron with the hot point"—and in 1905 Richardson’s trademark iron is born. 1905 Electric filaments improved Engineer Albert Marsh patents the nickel and chromium alloy nichrome, used to make electric filaments that can heat up quickly without burning out. The advent of nichrome paves the way, 4 years later, for the first electric toaster.

1907 First practical domestic vacuum cleaner James Spangler, a janitor at an Ohio department store who suffers from asthma, invents his "electric suction-sweeper," the first practical domestic vacuum cleaner. It employs an electric fan to generate suction, rotating brushes to loosen dirt, a pillowcase for a filter, and a broomstick for a handle. Unsuccessful with his heavy, clumsy invention, Spangler sells the rights the following year to a relative, William Hoover, whose redesign of the appliance coincides with the development of the small, high-speed universal motor, in which the same current (either AC or DC) passes through the appliance’s rotor and stator. This gives the vacuum cleaner more horsepower, higher airflow and suction, better engine cooling, and more portability than was possible with the larger, heavier induction motor. And the rest, as they say, is history. 1909 First commercially successful electric toaster Frank Shailor of General Electric files a patent application for the D-12, the first commercially successful electric toaster. The D-12 has a single heating element and no exterior casing.

It has no working parts, no controls, and no sensors; a slice of bread must be turned by hand to toast on both sides. 1913 First refrigerator for home use Fred W. Wolf of Fort Wayne, Indiana, invents the first refrigerator for home use, a small unit mounted on top of an old-fashioned icebox and requiring external plumbing connections. Only in 1925 would a hermetically sealed standalone home refrigerator of the modern type, based on pre-1900 work by Marcel Audiffren of France and by self-trained machinist Christian Steenstrup of Schenectady, New York, be commercially introduced. This and other early models use toxic gases such as methyl chloride and sulfur dioxide as refrigerants. On units not hermetically sealed, leaks—and resulting explosions and poisonings—are not uncommon, but the gas danger ends in 1929 with the advent of Freon-operated compressor refrigerators for home kitchens. 1913 First electric dishwasher on the market The Walker brothers of Philadelphia produce the first electric dishwasher to go on the market, with full-scale commercialization by Hotpoint and others in 1930. 1915 Calrod developed Charles C.

Abbot of General Electric develops an electrically insulating, heat conducting ceramic "Calrod" that is still used in many electrical household appliances as well as in industry. 1919 First automatic pop-up toaster Charles Strite’s first automatic pop-up toaster uses a clockwork mechanism to time the toasting process, shut off the heating element when the bread is done, and release the slice with a pop-up spring. The invention finally reaches the marketplace in 1926 under the name Toastmaster. 1927 First iron with an adjustable temperature control The Silex Company introduces the first iron with an adjustable temperature control. The thermostat, devised by Joseph Myers, is made of pure silver. 1927 First garbage disposal John W. Hammes, a Racine, Wisconsin, architect, develops the first garbage disposal in his basement because he wants to make kitchen cleanup work easier for his wife. Nicknamed the "electric pig" when first introduced by the Emerson Electric Company, the appliance operates on the principle of centrifugal force to pulverize food waste against a stationary grind ring so it would easily flush down the drain. 1930s (Mid) Washing machine to wash, rinse, and extract water from clothes John W.

Chamberlain of Bendix Corporation invents a device that enables a washing machine to wash, rinse, and extract water from clothes in a single operation. This eliminates the need for cumbersome and often dangerous powered wringer rolls atop the machine. 1935 First clothes dryer To spare his mother having to hang wet laundry outside in the brutal North Dakota winter, J. Ross Moore builds an oil-heated drum in a shed next to his house, thereby creating the first clothes dryer. Moore’s first patented dryers run on either gas or electricity, but he is forced to sell the design to the Hamilton Manufacturing Company the following year because of financial difficulties. 1945 Magnetron discovered to melt candy, pop corn, and cook an egg Raytheon Corporation engineer Percy L. Spencer’s realization that the vacuum tube, or magnetron, he is testing can melt candy, pop corn, and cook an egg leads to the first microwave oven. Raytheon’s first model, in 1947, stands 5.5 feet tall, weighs more than 750 pounds, and sells for $5,000.

It is quickly superseded by the equally gigantic but slightly less expensive Radarange; easily affordable countertop models are not marketed until 1967. 1947 First top-loading automatic washer The Nineteen Hundred Corporation introduces the first top-loading automatic washer, which Sears markets under the Kenmore label. Billed as a "suds saver," the round appliance sells for $239.95. 1952 First automatic coffeepot Russell Hobbs invents the CP1, the first automatic coffeepot as well as the first of what would become a successful line of appliances. The percolator regulates the strength of the coffee according to taste and has a green warning light and bimetallic strip that automatically cuts out when the coffee is perked. 1962 Spray mist added to iron Sunbeam ushers in a new era in iron technology by adding "spray mist" to the steam and dry functions of its S-5A model. The S-5A is itself an upgrade of the popular S-4 steam or dry iron that debuted in 1954.

1963 GE introduces the self-cleaning oven General Electric introduces the self-cleaning electric oven and in 1967 the first electronic oven control—beginning the revolution that would see microprocessors incorporated into household appliances of all sorts. 1972 First percolator with an automatic drip process Sunbeam develops the Mr. Coffee, the first percolator with an automatic drip process as well as an automatic cut-off control that lessens the danger of over-brewing. Mr. Coffee quickly becomes the country’s leading coffeemaker. 1978 First electronic sewing machine Singer introduces the Athena 2000, the world’s first electronic sewing machine. A wide variety of stitches, from basic straight to complicated decorative, are available at the touch of a button. The "brain" of the system is a chip that measures less than one-quarter of an inch and contains more than 8,000 transistors. 1990s Environmentally friendly washers and dryers Environmentally friendly washers and dryers that save water and conserve energy are introduced.

They include the horizontal-axis washer, which tumbles rather than agitates the clothes and uses a smaller amount of water, and a dryer with sensors, rather than a timer, that shuts the appliance off when the clothes are dry. 1997 First prototype of a robotic vacuum cleaner Swedish appliance company Electrolux presents the first prototype of a robotic vacuum cleaner. The device, billed as "the world’s first true domestic robot," sends and receives high-frequency ultrasound to negotiate its way around a room, much as bats do. In the production model, launched in Sweden a few years later, eight microphones receive and measure the returning signals to give the vacuum an accurate picture of the room. It calculates the size of a room by following around the walls for 90 seconds to 15 minutes, after which it begins a zigzag cleaning pattern and turns itself off when finished. History of Microwave - Invention of Microwave Oven History of Microwave Home Facts and History of Microwave A microwave oven, microwave, is a kitchen appliance that is used for heating food. It bombards food with microwaves that make dipole molecules of water and other substances to revolve and collide rapidly which manifests as heat.

Microwave ovens heat foods quickly and uniformly unlike other types of heating. Microwave Facts There are many facts that can be told about microwave ovens, its work and how affects us if we eat food prepared in it or even stand near it. Can we use microwave without danger for us? Read more interesting facts about microwave. Microwave Inventors What about the people who invented microwave oven or who, with their work, paved the road to it? How interesting are they? What can be said about them? Some of their story is here. Read more about invention of microwave oven. Brief History There were theories that high-frequency electric fields could be used for heating as early as 1934 but this method used frequencies that are lower than those of microwaves. Between 1937 and 1940, British physicist Sir John Turton Randall, together with a team of British coworkers, developed multi-cavity magnetron which allowed for production of electromagnetic waves of a small enough wavelength (microwaves) and development of radar. Magnetron was given to the U.S. government in September 1940 in exchange for their financial and industrial help during the Second World War.

One of the companies that were given contract by U.S. government to build magnetrons was Raytheon an one of the engineers that worked for Raytheon was self-taught engineer from Howland, Maine - Percy Spencer. He was at that time one of the world’s leading experts in radar tube design. In 1945, he was working on powered radar set when he noticed that a chocolate bar that he had in his pocket was melting. He wasn’t the first one to notice such a phenomenon but was the first one to become intrigued by it. He exposed popcorns to microwaves and they popped, he tried the whole egg and it exploded. Then he attached a high density electromagnetic field generator to an enclosed metal box and experimented on food that way which allowed for controlled and safe experimentation. Microwave cooking oven was patented on October 8, 1945 with the one of the first prototypes placed at a Boston restaurant for testing. The first public was in January 1947 in a Speedy Weeny vending machine in Grand Central Terminal which sold freshly cooked hot dogs. The first commercially available microwave oven also appeared in 1947.

It was made by Raytheon, it was called Radarange had 1.8 metres in height and weighed 340 kilograms. Its cost was $5,000 which is today around $52,000. Next model was made in 1954 and consumed half the power the first model did, and sold for $2,000 to $3,000. In time price fell. In 1955 it was $1,295, in 1967 - $495 - lesser but still expensive (in today’s money - around $3,500). In the 1960s, Litton Company developed a new configuration of the microwave: the short, wide shape that is now common, with a magnetron feed that could survive a no-load condition (when there is nothing in the oven to absorb microwaves) which made microwave oven safer. This helped rapid growth of the market for home microwave ovens. Prices fell rapidly in the 1970s and microwave ovens became a standard part of households.

A few interesting facts about microwaves: While by 1986, around 25% of households in the United States had a microwave oven, by 1997 over 90% of American households owned one. Microwave heating has the most efficient on the water because of its dipole molecules and has less effect on fats and sugars. Microwave ovens do not cook food "from the inside out". It’s a common misconception. Any metal or conductive object placed in the microwave oven will work as an antenna and could cause electric arc and even fire if it has sharp edges. Microwaves are prevented from leaking from the oven by metal box in which the food is placed, that works similarly to Faraday’s cage. The History of the Microwave Oven Copyright ©, 1996-2013 by J. Carlton Gallawa Of course, asking "Who Invented the Microwave?" is like asking who invented the electron. Microwave energy is a natural phenomenon that occurs when electric current flows through a conductor. Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation that is very similar to sunlight and radio waves.

A Brief History of the Microwave Oven Like many of today's great inventions, the microwave oven was a by-product of another technology. It was during a radar-related research project around 1946 that Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, noticed something very unusual. He was testing a new vacuum tube called a magnetron (we are searching for a picture of an actual 1946 magnetron), when he discovered that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. This intrigued Dr. Spencer, so he tried another experiment. This time he placed some popcorn kernels near the tube and, perhaps standing a little farther away, he watched with an inventive sparkle in his eye as the popcorn sputtered, cracked and popped all over his lab. The next morning, Scientist Spencer decided to put the magnetron tube near an egg. Spencer was joined by a curious colleague, and they both watched as the egg began to tremor and quake. The rapid temperature rise within the egg was causing tremendous internal pressure. Evidently the curious colleague moved in for a closer look just as the egg exploded and splattered hot yolk all over his amazed face.

The face of Spencer lit up with a logical scientific conclusion: the melted candy bar, the popcorn, and now the exploding egg, were all attributable to exposure to low-density microwave energy. Thus, if an egg can be cooked that quickly, why not other foods? Experimentation began... Dr. Spencer fashioned a metal box with an opening into which he fed microwave power. The energy entering the box was unable to escape, thereby creating a higher density electromagnetic field. When food was placed in the box and microwave energy fed in, the temperature of the food rose very rapidly. Dr. Spencer had invented what was to revolutionize cooking, and form the basis of a multimillion dollar industry, the microwave oven. A Bit of Trivia: The "Speedie Weenie" Project In the spring of 1946, Percy Spencer and an associate, P.R. Hanson (Roly Hanson), were working on a secret project they called "the Speedy Weenie". Muriel Withrow remembers the project well. She recalls, "The 'Speedy Weenie' Project was the nickname Mr.

Spencer and my boss, Roly Hanson, gave to their secret project, the microwave [oven]" "'Speedie Weenie' meaning 'a quick hot dog!'" (Our thanks to Mrs. Withrow for sharing this little known detail) Nearly 6 Feet Tall, Weighing 750 Pounds Engineers went to work on Spencer's hot new idea, developing and refining it for practical use. By late 1946, the Raytheon Company had filed a patent proposing that microwaves be used to cook food. An oven that heated food using microwave energy was then placed in a Boston restaurant for testing. At last, in 1947, the first commercial microwave oven hit the market. These primitive units where gigantic and enormously expensive, standing 5 1/2 feet tall, weighing over 750 pounds, and costing about $5000 each. The magnetron tube had to be water-cooled, so plumbing installations were also required. Initial Reactions Were Unfavorable Not surprisingly, many were highly reluctant about these first units, and so they found only limited acceptance. Initial sales were disappointing...but not for long.

Further improvements and refinements soon produced a more reliable and lightweight oven that was not only less expensive, but, with the development of a new air-cooled magnetron, there was no longer any need for a plumber. The microwave oven had reached a new level of acceptance, particularly with regard to certain industrial applications. By having a microwave oven available, restaurants and vending companies could now keep products refrigerator-fresh up to the point of service, then heat to order. The result? Fresher food, less waste, and money saved. New and Unusual Applications As the food industry began to recognize the potential and versatility of the microwave oven, its usefulness was put to new tests. Industries began using microwaves to dry potato chips and roast coffee beans and peanuts. Meats could be defrosted, precooked and tempered. Even the shucking of oysters was made easier by microwaves. Other industries found the diverse applications of microwave heating quite advantageous. In time, microwaves were being used to dry cork, ceramics, paper, leather, tobacco, textiles, pencils, flowers, wet books and match heads. The microwave oven had become a necessity in the commercial market and the possibilities seemed endless.

The First "Radarange" In 1947, Raytheon demonstrated the world's first microwave oven and called it a "Radarange," the winning name in an employee contest. Housed in refrigerator-sized cabinets, the first microwave ovens cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Sometime between 1952-55, Tappan introduced the first home model priced at $1295. In 1965 Raytheon acquired Amana Refrigeration. Two years later, the first countertop, domestic oven was introduced. It was a 100-volt microwave oven, which cost just under $500 and was smaller, safer and more reliable than previous models. By 1975 Sales of Microwave Ovens Exceeded that of Gas Ranges ï¿½Technological advances and further developments led to a microwave oven that was polished and priced for the consumer kitchen.

However, there were many myths and fears surrounding these mysterious new electronic "radar ranges." By the seventies, more and more people were finding the benefits of microwave cooking to outweigh the possible risks, and none of them were dying of radiation poisoning, going blind, sterile, or becoming impotent (at least not from using microwave ovens). As fears faded, a swelling wave of acceptance began filtering into the kitchens of America and other countries. Myths were melting away, and doubt was turning into demand. By 1975, sales of microwave ovens would, for the first time, exceed that of gas ranges. The following year, a reported 17% of all homes in Japan were doing their cooking by microwaves, compared with 4% of the homes in the United States the same year. Before long, though, microwave ovens were adorning the kitchens in over nine million homes, or about 14%, of all the homes in the United States. In 1976, the microwave oven became a more commonly owned kitchen appliance than the dishwasher, reaching nearly 60%, or about 52 million U.S. households.

America's cooking habits were being drastically changed by the time and energy-saving convenience of the microwave oven. Once considered a luxury, the microwave oven had developed into a practical necessity for a fast-paced world. An expanding market has produced a style to suit every taste; a size, shape, and color to fit any kitchen, and a price to please almost every pocketbook. Options and features, such as the addition of convection heat, probe and sensor cooking, meet the needs of virtually every cooking, heating or drying application. Today, the magic of microwave cooking has radiated around the globe, becoming an international phenomenon. Inventor Spencer Doctor Spencer continued at Raytheon as a senior consultant until he died at the age of 76. At the time of his death, Dr. Spencer held 150 patents and was considered one of the world's leading experts in the field of microwave energy, despite his lack of a high school education. On September 18, 1999, Dr. Percy LaBaron Spencer was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and took his place in history alongside such great inventors as Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers and George Washington Carver.

Click HERE : 1958 Issue of Readers Digest article about Dr. Percy Spencer Click HERE : Wikiverse - A World of Knowledge. Article about Percy Spencer with additional links. More to come on the fascinating history and development of the microwave oven... Note: Photo of Percy Spencer and Patent provided courtesy of The Spencer Family Archives Picture of the earliest microwave oven provided courtesy of The Lemelson-MIT Awards Program's Invention Dimension web site, More about the myths & mysteries of microwave ovens Shop for appliance parts, lawn mower parts and vacuum cleaner parts. Fast, guaranteed delivery. One million parts for 118 brands. Open 7 days a week. Search by part number or model number for best results. If you don't know your model number - try searching by appliance type, brand or part type. Copyright Information Unless otherwise noted, all materials at this cite (including without limitation all text, HTML markup, graphics, and graphic elements) are copyrighted ©, 1989-2013 by J. Carlton Gallawa. The material available through this site may be freely used for attributed noncommercial educational purposes only. We ask that due credit and notification be given the author.

All materials appearing on this website may not be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or used in any way for commercial purposes without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. Send correspondence to: Microtech, P.O. Box 940, Gonzalez, Florida 32560 Disclaimer: The author assumes no liability for any incidental, consequential or other liability from the use of this information. All risks and damages, incidental or otherwise, arising from the use or misuse of the information contained herein are entirely the responsibility of the user. Although careful precaution has been taken in the preparation of this material, we assume no responsibility for omissions or errors. The History of Appliances & Kitchen Appliances - Domex Ltd Latest News » The History of Appliances The History of Appliances Our kitchen appliances are an often-overlooked part of our kitchen; they do their job, they do it well and there’s no more to it than that. But, sometimes, our appliances have some very interesting stories behind them. Domex in London bring you this post, ‘The History of Appliances’.

The Washing Machine Invention: Unknown (1904) Before the washing machine was invented, washing your clothes was a long and drawn out affair with the usual tactic being to have a large tub of hot water, a washboard and a bar of laundry soap and to scrub until the clothes were clean. The invention of the washing machine put an end to this and as time has gone on, washing machines have become more and more efficient. Some Interesting Facts: Over 97% of British households own a washing machine People, on average, will do between 2 and 7 washes per week, with the median number of washes being 4 The Tumble Dryer Invention: 1935 by J. Ross Moore (USA) J. Ross Moore came up with the first concept for a gas and electric based clothes dryer and registered a patent for it in 1935. Unfortunately, he ran into financial difficulties and didn’t see the financial potential of his invention, so he sold the patent to Hamilton Manufacturing in 1936 – no doubt a regrettable decision considering the success it has seen.

Some Interesting Facts: Over 62% of British homes have a tumble dryer Most people limit their tumble dryer use to once per week The Refrigerator Invention: 1834 by Jacob Perkins (USA) Before the refrigerator was invented, people used to rely on leaving their meats and other perishables in a cool shed, usually covered in salts to preserve them. The refrigerator changed all of this and has since made it easy to store perishable items and almost every home in the UK now has one. Some Interesting Facts: Over 99% of British homes have a refrigerator 24% of fridges in UK homes are over 10 years old – meaning they could be wasting energy The Dishwasher Invention: 1886 by Josephine Cochrane (USA) Legend has it that the first dishwasher was invented by a fiery American woman called Josephine Cochrane in 1886 who was angry that her servants kept chipping her fine china. She decided that if nobody else was going to invent a dishwasher, she’d take matters into her own hands. A more efficient version of the dishwasher was invented in 1987 by Adrian Sergeant and Phil Brace for Fisher & Paykel.

Some Interesting Facts: Over 41% of British households own a dishwasher Most people use a dishwasher around 4 times per week Around 30% of dishwashers are over 6 years old The Microwave Invention Year: 1945 Invented By: Percy Spencer (USA) Dr Percy Spencer was an American engineer who first discovered that radiation could be applied to cooking food when he was conducting an experiment and had left a chocolate bar in his pocket. After the experiment had finished, he realised the chocolate bar had melted and started to see the potential for the Microwave oven. Some Interesting Facts: Over 80% of British households own a microwave We’ve also created an interactive resource based on the history of appliances which you can see here . At Domex in London, we fix appliances and our engineers often have an interesting story or two to tell as well. Visit our website to find out more. Looking for appliance repair in london? Speak to us for a free quote on: 020 3124 1872 Search for:

Question: Which kitchen appliance was invented by Percy Spencer in 1945?
Answer: MICROWAVE OVEN